NEED TO KNOW
A Pennsylvania house fire killed one person and seriously injured two others
Police alleged that a man set the residence on fire after he was rejected by a woman living in the attic
Robert Zimmerman now faces charges, including arson
After a woman rejected a man’s romantic advances, her house went up in flames. The man is now facing charges for allegedly starting the deadly blaze.
At around 11:55 p.m. local time on Wednesday, May 6, police responded to a house fire at a residence occupied by several residents in Lewiston, Penn. One person was killed in the fire and two others were seriously injured, the Lewis Police Department (LPD) said in a news release shared on Facebook.
One man suffered “significant facial injuries” after jumping from the second floor of the building, while one woman sustained serious injuries after passing out from smoke inhalation and falling onto a concrete sidewalk below, the LPD said. Both residents were sent to trauma centers.
The Mifflin County Coroner’s Office (MCCO) confirmed that 44-year-old resident Brandy Phillippe was found dead inside the home. She had “attempted to flee the residence during the fire but was unable to escape,” the MCCO said in a news release shared on Facebook.
A woman died in a house fire in Lewiston, Pa., on May 6
Credit: Courtesy of City Hook & Ladder #14 – Lewistown, PA/Lewistown Police Department
The fire was later confirmed to be arson by the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) Fire Marshall, the LPD said. “When officers arrived, several residents began making statements that the fire was an arson and there were people trapped inside the residence,” authorities said.
Multiple witnesses identified Robert Zimmerman as a person of interest, claiming they saw him at the house before the fire. There, police said Zimmerman was “professing his love for a female who was living in the attic of the residence.”
“It was reported that Zimmerman became upset when he was rejected by the female, and he began setting several items on fire on the first floor of the residence,” authorities claimed.
Witnesses also allegedly heard Zimmerman, 40, confess to starting the fire. They said they saw him “standing in a nearby alley watching the residence begin to burn.” The LPD said surveillance images appear to confirm the sighting.
Emergency crews responding to o a house fire in Lewiston, Pa., on May 6 that killed one woman
Credit: Courtesy of City Hook & Ladder #14 – Lewistown, PA/Lewistown Police Department
Zimmerman was later found smelling “of ash and smoke,” police said. He was detained on an outstanding warrant in relation to the fire.
Police said Zimmerman admitted to taking fentanyl and “displayed signs of overdosing from opioids.” He was sent to Geisinger Lewistown Hospital for evaluation and treatment and then transported to the LPD for questioning.
“Zimmerman claimed that he could not recall any details at the exact time the fire started, but was able to make several statements about events immediately before and after the fire started,” said the LPD. “Zimmerman was informed that an occupant of the residence died as a result of the fire, and he had a strong emotional response to this.”
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The MCCO is investigating Phillippe’s death as a homicide. An autopsy to determine the cause of death took place on Saturday, May 9. PEOPLE reached out to the MCCO for an update on May 10.
Zimmerman is being held at the Mifflin County Correctional Facility. Charges, including arson, have been filed, the Lewistown Sentinel reported, citing police.
PEOPLE has reached out to the LPD and PSP for further comment. It is not immediately clear if Zimmerman has legal representation to comment on his behalf.
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